Is this bleak depiction of the future of our world still spinning a yarn that’s worth your money and time?  Read on to find out.

The official description from Image:

The stunning finale to arc one! A night of terror in the Hinterlands. A day of reckoning in BlackAcre. The mission’s collapsed, but the fallout’s just begun…

Following some events complete with unnecessary discomfort for out protagonist the creative team wraps up things in their first arc on a compelling high note.  It’s not happy, sad or indifferent instead what we receive is something that will surely get the ball rolling as the series moves toward its next phase. There are a few shocking moments but trust me when I say pay attention to the final page.

The script by Duffy Boudreau is simply the writer’s best so far.  From the dialogue to the narration everything is crisp and to the point as mysteries that have existed since the first release earn the right to garner some necessary answers.  To the author’s detriment there were several moments where the flow of the script did get a bit disrupted by some minor sequences that felt a bit out of place but overall the story was so solid that these momentary lapses are easily forgotten.

Wendell Cavalcanti handles the art once again, as his unique style and determined sensibilities shape the backbone of this saga.  I was thoroughly impressed by the visual depictions of the various characters as the illustrator absolutely nailed their facial expressions in a way that yielded authenticity in an outlandish environment.  With that said there were some panels that seemed to be incomplete as they lacked the precision and keen eye for detail attributed with the rest of the work on display.

BlackAcre #5 not only proves the strength of this narrative and its primary cast of characters, but it also highlights the advantages of a concept like this being launched through the Image Comics banner.  In an era overpopulated with relaunches, re-imagined concepts and continuity shifts it’s nice to pick up a true piece of original fiction.  Recommended.

4/5